The commander of Iran’s Quds Force is on the ground in Lebanon as clashes between Hezbollah and Israel continue, Amwaj.media has learned. Multiple informed sources said Esmail Qa’ani arrived in Beirut the day after the Palestinian Hamas movement’s Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel. He is said to have left for consultations on Oct. 16, and returned to Lebanon on Oct. 20, where Qa’ani has since maintained a constant presence. The focus of his mission, informed sources say, is to help coordinate a possible broader confrontation with Israel.

However, the Quds Force commander is said to be playing a role that is very different from his predecessor Qasem Soleimani. Following his recent return to Lebanon, Qa’ani has met with Palestinian leaders as well as the leadership of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, conveying messages from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In this context, and as one senior security source told Amwaj.media, the person who is “really calling the shots” is...